Ouagadougou – In a major overhaul aimed at streamlining legal documentation, the Ministry of Justice of Burkina Faso announced the nationwide expansion of the ‘e-criminal record’ system, a digital initiative designed to cut processing times, reduce costs, and combat corruption in obtaining legal records.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Justice Minister Rodrigue Edasso Bayala detailed the phased implementation of the digital records system that began on September 15, 2023, initially servicing areas within the jurisdictions of the High Courts of Ouagadougou and Ouagadougou I. The announcement came during a press conference held in Ouagadougou, where Minister Bayala outlined the successive expansions, culminating in the recent development covering all jurisdictions across the country.
The first phase targeted localities under specific high court jurisdictions, with subsequent expansions focusing on areas with heightened security challenges, including the High Court of Bobo-Dioulasso and the Court of Appeal of Ouagadougou. “The third phase extended the digital service to the jurisdictions of the regional capitals, and now, this final stage embraces all jurisdictions nationwide,” explained Minister Bayala. He emphasized that the system now encompasses 16 jurisdictions, reaching approximately 31 of Burkina Faso’s 45 provinces.
Minister Bayala also highlighted the significant uptake of the digital service, noting that since its launch, there have been 11,000 requests for digital records from September to December 2023, and a substantial increase to 16,000 requests from January to September 5, 2024. The comprehensive digitalization ensures that any Burkinabe, whether residing domestically or abroad, can obtain their criminal records online efficiently and transparently.